A3: Hindhead

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the cost of the A3 Hindhead improvement  (a) with and  (b) without twin-bored tunnels under the Devil's Punch Bowl; and how much is expected to come from public funds.

Paul Clark: The latest estimate for the A3 Hindhead improvement currently being constructed is £371 million, of which, all is to come from public funds. There is no estimate for a scheme without the twin-bored tunnels under the Devil's Punch Bowl.

Aviation: Fuels

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in the light of the incident at Birmingham airport on 14 May 2008, what steps he is taking to ensure that aviation fuel is not contaminated by biofuel.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Aviation fuel supplied to aircraft must be fit for purpose. Ultimately, fuel companies are responsible for supplying fuel to their airline customers which is within specification and they have arrangements in place to deliver this. Procedures for handling aviation fuel at airports and other aviation fuel facilities have been developed by the Joint Inspection Group, a Joint Venture company formed in 2002 by fuel supply companies. Following the Birmingham airport incident last May, fuel suppliers carried out a detailed investigation and took appropriate corrective action. The Joint Inspection Group issued revised handling procedures and recommendations which were endorsed by the International Air Transport Association and circulated internationally.
	Government Departments including the Department for Transport, Department of Energy and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Defence, are working closely with stakeholders in the fuel supply industry, aircraft engine and airframe manufacturers, airport operators, airlines, and safety regulators, to track developments towards a higher permissible biodiesel component level, monitor developments with testing methods, and monitor the application of the existing testing regime in the aviation fuel supply chain.

Departmental Absenteeism

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost as a result of such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on those days.

Geoff Hoon: Non-medical absence is managed locally so this information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many contracts  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have which allow contractors to store personal data of UK citizens overseas; for which contracts this applies; in which countries the data for each contract is held; and how many people have their data stored overseas in the case of each such contract.

Geoff Hoon: The following table lists the information readily available. It represents the current position and details are liable to change as, for instance, new contracts are signed, or old ones end. The table provides a summary of three contracts let out by the Department and three by its agencies, where the Department is the data controller, that involve storing data overseas.
	
		
			  Description of the contract and in which country  Approximate number of citizens who have their data stored overseas 
			 Pearson Driving Assessments Limited processes and backs up personal data on theory test candidates in the US on behalf of the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). (1)4,909,374 
			 Highways Agency (HA) uses Gallup for staff satisfaction surveys, some personal data on HA staff are stored in the US for conducting the survey purposes. 3,500 
			 The Department contracts Siemens to deliver a public inquiry service the back-up arrangements for which include the storage of staff business contact details by RightNow Technologies in the US. 2,300 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) have contracted with PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct staff surveys. Staff's personal data are stored in Germany. 217 
			 The Department has a contract with Bravo Solutions who use Asite Ltd. to run a web-based system for tendering purposes. Data is held in the UK and backed-up to the US. 149 
			 The Department are using GeoStats for conducting a survey of travel patterns of individuals who have volunteered to take part. The data collected will be processed by GeoStats in the US for up to 6 months before being returned to the main UK contractor Up to 150 
			 (1 )As of 17 December 2008.

Diesel Trains Limited

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library  (a) the (i) memorandum of association and (ii) articles of association of Diesel Trains Limited and  (b) a copy of each letter to industry partners referred to in his Department's press release of 5 March 2009 on the establishment of the company.

Paul Clark: A copy of the Memorandum of Association of Diesel Trains Ltd. has been placed in the Library. The company took standard "Table A" articles of association from the Companies (Table A to F) Regulations 1985 as amended.
	A copy of the letter to industry partners has been placed in the Library. The letter is also available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/purchase.pdf

Level Crossings: Accidents

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) injuries and  (b) deaths have occurred in accidents on railway crossings in (i) Essex and (ii) the UK in each year since 1998.

Paul Clark: The following data is based on incidents reported to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95). Figures for 2008 are provisional and may change with the receipt of coroners' findings for inquests that are currently outstanding.
	
		
			  Table 1: Fatalities and injuries at level crossings, 1998 to 2008( 1) , excluding trespassers and suicides, Great Britain 
			   Fatalities  Injuries  Total 
			   GB  Essex  GB  Essex  GB  Essex 
			 1998 13 0 40 2 53 2 
			 1999 11 0 26 1 37 1 
			 2000 13 2 28 3 41 5 
			 2001 10 0 20 0 30 0 
			 2002 14 0 32 2 46 2 
			 2003 16 0 26 0 42 0 
			 2004 16 0 64 2 80 2 
			 2005 15 2 21 2 36 4 
			 2006 8 0 28 1 36 1 
			 2007 11 0 14 0 25 0 
			 2008(1) 15 1 27 2 42 3 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Fatalities and injuries to trespassers and suicides at level crossings, 1998 to 2008( 1) , Great Britain 
			   Fatalities  Injuries  Total 
			   GB  Essex  GB  Essex  GB  Essex 
			 1998 12 1 0 1 12 2 
			 1999 8 1 0 0 8 1 
			 2000 9 0 2 0 11 0 
			 2001 10 0 3 0 13 0 
			 2002 13 1 0 0 13 1 
			 2003 15 0 0 0 15 0 
			 2004 12 1 1 0 13 1 
			 2005 20 2 3 0 23 2 
			 2006 19 0 0 0 19 0 
			 2007 17 0 0 0 17 0 
			 2008(1) 15 0 2 1 17 1 
			 (1) Provisional figures. 
		
	
	The data covers incidents at level crossings in Great Britain.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what costs have been incurred by the Government in the transposition of EU Regulations 715/2007 and 692/2008 on vehicle emissions.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Other than the costs of preparing UK regulations to implement the EU regulation, the main cost on Government will be the cost of enforcing the requirement that replacement pollution control devices may only be sold if they have an appropriate type approval. These costs are estimated as a one off set up cost of £55,000 plus an annual cost of £110,000 rising to £114,000.
	Enforcement will be carried out by the Vehicle Certification Agency.

Railways: Employment

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2132W on railways: employment, with which train operators he has had discussions on these matters in the last six months.

Paul Clark: Ministers in the Department for Transport have met representatives of all the franchised passenger train operating companies in recent weeks to discuss the effects of current economic conditions on their operations.

Rolling Stock

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the statement of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1531-33, on new trains (investment), how many jobs in the supply chain to provide new rolling stock for the East Coast and Great Western main lines will be in the UK.

Paul Clark: Agility expects 500 of the 2,500 direct jobs to be with major UK suppliers and expect that up to 10,000 jobs will be protected in the indirect, supply chain.

Rolling Stock

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the statement of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1531-33, on new trains (investment), what assessment he has made of the effect of World Trade Organisation treaty obligations on UK and European suppliers competing for railway rolling stock tenders in Japan.

Paul Clark: The European Commission has highlighted the difficulties of entry for non-Japanese companies into the Japanese rail market. I understand that there are a small number of European trains and train components in Japan, and that there is the potential for more, although this is likely to require significant investment on the part of any potential market entrants. The Foreign Office continues to work with the European Commission—which takes the lead in this area—to review the issue of barriers to market.

Rolling Stock

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Statement of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1531-3, on new trains (investment), whether UK and European rail companies are able to bid for railway rolling stock tenders in Japan.

Paul Clark: UK and European rail industry suppliers are able to bid for railway rolling stock tenders in Japan, although the European Commission estimates that around 98 per cent. of procurements are not competitively tendered.

Speed Limits

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud of 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1307W, on speed limits, what progress his Department has made towards creating a national digital road map of speed limits for use with satellite navigation devices; when he expects the national digital road map of speed limits will be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We are consulting with stakeholders involved in collecting, managing and using data on how best to record information about speed limits and will be testing our recommended approach through trials of a form of voluntary Intelligent Speed Adaptation as part of our Road Safety Partnership Grant programme, announced on 4 March 2009.
	We anticipate publishing the data schema for traffic authorities to use within the next 12 months.

Speed Limits

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud of 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1307W, on speed limits, what recent meetings he has had with car manufacturers and other stakeholders on facilitating the availability of intelligent speed adaptation.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Secretary of State for Transport has had no recent meetings with car manufacturers and other stakeholders specifically on the subject of intelligent speed adaptation.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to answer question 245350, tabled on 15 December 2008, on personal data stored overseas.

Geoff Hoon: A reply has been given to the hon. Member today.

Renewable Energy: EC Action

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Southampton, Test of 22 January 2009,  Official Report, column 886, on a European supergrid, what discussions he has had with Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers on the international co-operation required for such an infrastructure project.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 4 February 2009
	Climate Change and Energy Ministers are responsible for discussions with the European Commission and other EU member states on a European supergrid.
	The idea of a European supergrid could help member states meet climate change and energy goals. However, this type of project involves many difficult cross-border regulatory and jurisdictional issues which will require significant effort to resolve and will take time to do so. It is also unclear what cost implications would be for UK consumers of this project relative to other options to secure energy supplies.
	DECC officials are currently in discussions with the European Commission on their proposals, to share our experience on offshore transmission and ensure UK objectives are met in any developments on this project.

Crown Prosecution Service

Paul Burstow: To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1858W, what circumstances are covered by the category described as essential legal element missing; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: Each criminal offence is made up of a number of elements which constitute the essence of the offence. For example, a person is guilty of theft when he or she dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it. Each of these elements, 'dishonestly', 'property', 'belonging to another' and 'with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it', as defined within the Theft Act 1968, and evidence to establish each element must be present and proved beyond reasonable doubt if the court is to record a conviction for an offence of theft is to be proved.
	All cases conducted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are subject to a process of continuous review under the terms of the Code for Crown Prosecutors (the Code). The review process requires the prosecutor to be satisfied first that the evidential test is met—that is that there is sufficient reliable admissible evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of securing a conviction for the offence alleged; and, second, that the public interest requires a prosecution. If the prosecutor ascertains at any stage that a legal element of an offence is missing, then the case no longer meets the evidential test required under the Code, and the prosecution cannot continue.
	It is the duty of Crown prosecutors to ensure that the right person is prosecuted for the right offence and, in doing so, they must always act in the interests of justice and not solely for the purpose of obtaining a conviction. Five years ago, the Government introduced the Statutory Charging arrangements which ensured that a CPS prosecutor must authorise the charge for a range of more serious offences that were previously charged by the police. This has led to significant reductions in the number of cases discontinued after charge, because prosecutors will not have authorised charges in cases which do not meet the requirements of the Code, including those cases where an essential legal element is missing.
	While the CPS seeks to minimise discontinuance, and has made major strides in recent years in reducing the number and the proportion of cases which result in an unsuccessful outcome, there will always be cases in which circumstances may change and either the evidence available or expected, or the public interest no longer supports a prosecution. In these circumstances, the decision not to proceed best serves the cause of justice.

Colombia: Military Aid

David Lidington: To ask the Prime Minister whether the  (a) work and  (b) funding of UK counter-narcotics operations in Colombia have been discussed at meetings of the Joint Intelligence Committee in the last three years.

Gordon Brown: The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) co-ordinates inter-departmental intelligence assessments on a range of issues of immediate and long-term importance to national interests; these are primarily in the fields of security, defence and foreign affairs.
	As is the practice of previous governments I will not comment further on the specific work of the JIC.

Israel

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of his speech to the Knesset on 21 July 2008; who drafted the speech; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: A transcript of my speech to the Knesset is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page16423
	A copy has also been placed in the Library of the House. I am responsible for the content of my speeches.

US Congress

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  on what date he was invited to address a joint meeting of the US Congress; who invited him; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) the first and  (b) the final draft of his speech to the United States Congress on 4 March 2009; who drafted the speech; what input Ministers in his Government had to the speech; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I was invited to speak to the United States Congress by the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (Nancy Pelosi) during her visit to Downing street in March 2008. A transcript of my speech is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18506
	A copy has also been placed in the Library of the House. I am responsible for the content of my speeches.

World Economic Forum

Anne Main: To ask the Prime Minister which hotels he stayed in during the World Economic Forum between 28 January and 1 February 2009; and at what cost.

Gordon Brown: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2008-09 will be published in the usual manner.

EU Defence Policy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the European Commission on standardisation within the European security and defence technological and industrial base.

John Hutton: The MOD has had little direct contact with the European Commission on this subject. The discussions that have taken place have been limited to agreeing an order of preference for the selection of standards to be used in Defence Procurement. Agreement was reached in 2008 that, where appropriate, European, international, and national civil standards should be used. After that in the order of preference, commercial standards widely used by Industry should be applied in preference to international military alliance standards such as those used in NATO and national Defence Standards.
	The MOD has been involved indirectly with the Commission through a contract they awarded to the Centre de Normalisation (CEN), the European Civil Standards Organisation to conduct work on standardisation systems in defence industries, and subsequently to develop a European Handbook for Defence Procurement. Its aim is to establish best practice in the application of standards for specified technology areas in support of defence procurement. The MOD is a member of a multinational group of Government experts and other stakeholders contributing to this work.

Submarines: Accidents

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department  (a) implemented the procedures in the Regulation of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme JSP 518 for berthing a submarine with a significant defect and  (b) informed the Health and Safety Executive prior to berthing HMS Vanguard at Coulport on 14 February 2009.

John Hutton: The procedures in JSP518 are applicable in the event of a significant nuclear defect; this was not the situation for HMS Vanguard. There was therefore no requirement to inform the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prior to berthing HMS Vanguard, as this was done in accordance with the safety case for the facility at the Royal Naval Armament Depot Coulport. Subsequently, as a matter of courtesy, the HSE was informed.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Mining

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1522W, on Democratic Republic of Congo: mining, which other UK companies are involved in the exportation of minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gillian Merron: We do not maintain a list of the UK companies currently involved in exporting minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The UK companies whose involvement in this sector is known to us are Central African Mining and Exploration Company and Katanga Mining. Afrimex has informed us that it is no longer engaged in this trade. We continue to encourage UK companies trading in natural resources from DRC to do so in a way that is socially, economically and environmentally responsible, and to adhere to the voluntary guidelines set out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The UK is working with our partner governments to identify ways of promoting good practice in this sector.

Democratic Republic of Congo: War Crimes

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 5 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1745W, on Democratic Republic of Congo: war crimes, on what dates his officials have met representatives of the Congolese Government to discuss the indictment of Bosco Ntaganda; and whether further such meetings are planned.

Gillian Merron: Our ambassador discussed the question of the warrant for Bosco Ntaganda's arrest with the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Minister of Foreign Affairs at a meeting on 21 January 2009. Our representatives will raise the issue in future high-level exchanges with DRC Ministers and officials.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what IT security policy his Department has; what procedures are in place to ensure the policy is being followed; what his Department's policy is on encryption of data when it leaves departmental premises; and what sanctions are in place for failure to comply with this policy.

Gillian Merron: Information is a key asset to the Government and their correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of the Government. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is compliant with the security policies contained in the Government Security Policy Framework including those for information security and assurance.
	Depending upon the circumstances, a range of sanctions are available including disciplinary or administrative action, and in extreme or persistent cases, termination of employment/services and, if appropriate, criminal proceedings.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Fareham of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 118-19W, on departmental ICT, what the  (a) original expected cost was,  (b) original expected delivery date was,  (c) current expected cost is and  (d) current expected completion date is of each ICT project listed; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Several of the Information and Communication Technology Directorate contracts listed in the answer relate to support and maintenance, or are framework arrangements, rather than to the provision of new capabilities. Consequently the following contract values and dates cannot necessarily be related to specific projects.
	 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
	(1) Provision of Managed Website Statistics Service—Nedstad.
	Value: £86,000 and term unchanged.
	(2) Future Firecrest (new IT infrastructure) Consultancy—Tribal.
	A framework agreement for consultancy, with no fixed value. Commenced May 2006.
	(3) Online Missing Persons and Travellers Registration Software—Worldreach.
	Value: £286,000 and term unchanged.
	(4) Development of Ministerial Visits Co-ordination Database—Parity.
	Value: £46,288 and term unchanged.
	(5) Home Office Biometrics Framework—Steria.
	A framework agreement for consultancy, with no fixed value. Commenced April 2007.
	(6) FCO Web FCO external websites platform—Logica.
	Software development and implementation at a cost of £6,115,000 due to complete September 2008; delivered December 2008 at no additional cost.
	(7) FCONet 3 Intranet Development—Fujitsu.
	Original contract covered 12 months effort at a cost of £580,000, commencing February 2008, a similar contract for a further 12 months is likely.
	(8) FCONet 3 Intranet Support—Fujitsu.
	£635,000 for three years' support and licensing, commencing February 2008; unchanged.
	(9) Enterprise Agreement—Microsoft.
	£6,900,000 for three years worldwide use of specified Microsoft products, starting March 2008; unchanged.
	(10) Premier Support Agreement—Microsoft.
	£349,000 for one year's support from January 2008; unchanged.
	 FCO Services
	(1) Tempest Workstation, Peripheral Equipment and Support—API Europe.
	Value: £1,000,000 and term (two years from May 2007, with option to extend) unchanged.
	(2) Wider Internal Markets Hardware Support for UK/Overseas—Hewlett Packard.
	Value: £330,000 and term (three years from January 2008) unchanged.
	 Wilton Park
	(1) Contact Records Management system development—GN Software.
	Framework contract commenced May 2008, with no fixed value. Current costs under contract are approximately £450 per month.

Departmental Public Expenditure

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1240W, on departmental public expenditure, which activities have been  (a) delayed in 2008-09 and  (b) identified for delay in 2009-10; and what the estimated saving from each delay is.

David Miliband: Prioritising our work to deliver on our objectives is the responsibility of budget holders with devolved responsibility. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, projects would be prioritised based on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Strategic Objectives.
	Any delayed activity would be reassessed during the quarterly review process. This process is used to scrutinise and challenge spending in order to move money between spending areas to fund additional pressures.

Departmental Public Expenditure

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1240W, on departmental public expenditure, what his Department's budget for costs of overseas posts was in each of the last five financial years.

David Miliband: The information on overseas post budgets for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Overseas post budgets for the past three financial years are highlighted as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006-07 366.50 
			 2007-08 359.50 
			 2008-09 (1)398.20 
			 (1) Forecast. 
		
	
	The increase in the 2008-09 figure is due to uplift through the Overseas Pricing Mechanism less efficiency savings.

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) summits,  (b) conferences and  (c) seminars his Department has hosted since January 2008 at which a primary subject for discussion was the effect of the economic situation on matters within his Department's responsibility.

Gillian Merron: Responsibility for global economic issues does not lie exclusively with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), but across a number of Government departments, including HM Treasury, the Cabinet Office and the Department for International Development.
	There have been two ministerial-level conferences, where economic issues were extensively discussed. I hosted the annual Overseas Territories Consultative Council on 28-29 October 2008. This was a forum for discussion between elected leaders of the Overseas Territories and Government Ministers on policy issues of concern to the Territories and the Government.
	In July 2008, The UK-Caribbean Ministerial Forum included dedicated sessions on 'Implementation of Millennium Development Goals', 'Implementation of Economic Partnership Agreements', 'Reform of Financial Institutions' and 'Energy and Food Security; Alternative Energy Sources'.
	At official level, senior officials led a discussion on the London Summit at the FCO's conference for its climate and energy attaches from Posts overseas on 26-27 February 2009.
	In February 2009, our embassy in Budapest hosted a seminar on Global economic crisis:
	challenges and opportunities for Europe—framing the context with support from the Central European University of Budapest.
	The FCO held its bi-annual conference for its economic officers in December 2008. The central themes were to understand the global economic crisis and how to support the Government's international policy responses effectively.
	In October 2008 the FCO's Global Economy Group held an internal seminar on new risks facing emerging market economies in the financial crisis, covering economic risks, which countries considered and the impact on UK interests.
	The FCO hosted a seminar on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Africa Economic Outlook in June 2008 and co-hosted with HM Treasury a seminar on international financial institutions with external experts in May 2008.
	Looking ahead, the FCO's Research Analysts are organising a seminar in conjunction with the London School of Economics (LSE) IDEAS Centre to discuss the Geopolitical Implications of the Global Financial Crisis to be held at the LSE on 5 March 2009.
	Overseas posts have a significant degree of discretion to organise local conferences or seminars on their own initiative. There are no centrally held records of events hosted by FCO posts overseas and collating details of events worldwide would incur disproportionate cost.

Overseas Trade

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1250W, on overseas trade: prices, what position he took on the future of the overseas price mechanism in his discussions with ministerial colleagues preceding the announcement of the comprehensive spending review.

David Miliband: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1250W.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2009W, on Western Sahara, if he will make representations to the Moroccan Ambassador to the UK on Morocco's continued occupation of Western Sahara when she takes up her post in London.

Bill Rammell: The new Moroccan ambassador to the UK has now taken up her post in London. She has yet to meet with Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials.
	As with all parties to the ongoing dispute, we continue to encourage Morocco to enter into the UN-led negotiation process in a spirit of realism and compromise; and to work towards a mutually acceptable political solution that will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, as called for by the UN Security Council.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1598W, on Western Sahara: politics and government, what the Government's policy is on the inclusion of independence as a referendum option under any agreement.

Bill Rammell: The Government continue to believe that progress towards a negotiated solution to the dispute in Western Sahara providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, is best achieved under the auspices of the UN. The Government also continue to believe any referendum on the future status of Western Sahara and the options it presents should be the result of the UN led negotiation process and agreed by all parties to the dispute.

Written Questions: Government Responses

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to answer Question 243945 tabled on 10 December 2008 on overseas posts.

David Miliband: The question was answered on 10 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 217-20W.

Passports: Fraud

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for passport fraud there have been in the last six years.

Meg Hillier: The figures recorded by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) for the number of prosecutions known to have been made against individuals who have fraudulently applied for passports, and convictions secured as a result of those prosecutions in the last six years are given in the following table.
	
		
			   Prosecutions  Convictions 
			 2003 16 — 
			 2004 54 — 
			 April 2005-March 2006 22 12 
			 April 2006-March 2007 75 55 
			 April 2000-March 2008 12 9 
			 April 2008-February 2009 17 5 
		
	
	It should be noted that IPS does not routinely receive feedback from the police or prosecution authorities on cases of passport fraud which are referred to them. The figures given above are therefore likely to be a significant under representation of the number of prosecutions brought and convictions secured. IPS is working with the police and prosecution authorities to develop a more effective feedback mechanism. The figures collated by IPS prior to 2005 do not distinguish between successful and unsuccessful prosecutions.

Police

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work the Risk and Regulatory Advisory Council has undertaken on risk and policing.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Risk and Regulation Advisory Council (RRAC) is supported by a team within BERR and I have been advised as follows:
	The RRAC was asked by Sir Ronnie Flanagan in Recommendation 20 of his Review of Policing to
	"begin the national debate on risk aversion and culture change at a central government level".
	As an independent body without vested interests, the RRAC benefited from the ability to convene a group of considerable diversity, without attracting the prejudices of government-badged intervention. The RRAC brought together 47 stakeholders to debate this issue, including: Tony McNulty, Minister for Policing; Ken Jones, President of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO); Bob Jones, Chair of the Association of Police Authorities (APA); and Jim Barker-McCardle, Director of the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA). A full list of organisations is given as follows. The council's work brings together and adds to various currents of reform being considered across the police service, allowing synergies to emerge from previously unconnected viewpoints.
	Since responding to Sir Ronnie Flanagan in March 2008 the RRAC:
	has engaged widely with representatives from inside and outside the police service to understand the complexity of this issue. This culminated in the council's first major risk forum at the end of July;
	has identified (through the risk forum and subsequent debate within the community of practice) a vision of "risk-based decision-making" in policing: a more flexible policing environment where frontline officers are better equipped to evaluate risks and exercise their professional judgment to respond appropriately.
	Four inter-related unifying objectives have been identified for priority action:
	Creating a more constructive leadership environment
	Enhancing and embedding the concept of the "learning organisation" in the police
	Delivering bureaucracy that is flexible, adaptable and appropriate
	Improving public confidence in policing.
	has used these objectives, and associated options for delivery, to inform the work of the NPIA and ACPO in response to Recommendation 20. The RRAC continues to engage at official level with the Home Office, the NPIA, and ACPO; and at a more senior level with Vernon Coaker MP, Minister for Policing, Dennis O'Connor, HM Acting Chief Inspector of Constabulary, and Jan Berry, Chair of the Practitioners Group on Reducing Bureaucracy in the Police.
	and has created an on-going community of practice to support the leadership of the police service in implementing reforms that will have a positive impact on frontline policing.
	 Organisations represented in RRAC Risk Forum on Policing and Community of Practice
	Age Concern England
	All Parliamentary Committee on Policing
	Association of Chief Police Officers
	Association of Police Authorities
	Cabinet Office
	Cheshire police
	Children's Society
	Crown Prosecution Service
	Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
	Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
	Doughty Street Chambers
	Health and Safety Executive
	Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
	Home Office
	Humberside police
	Independent Police Complaints Commission
	Leicestershire police
	Liberty
	Local Government Association
	London School of Economics
	Luton and Dunstable Hospital Trust
	Metropolitan police
	NAPO
	National Policing Improvement Agency
	Police Federation
	Police Superintendents Association
	Society of Editors, The
	Staffordshire police
	Staffordshire Police Authority
	Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, The
	Surrey police
	UNISON
	University of Portsmouth
	Victim Support
	West Midlands police
	Wiltshire police
	Work Foundation, The

Police: Finance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much each police force has received from central government in each year since 2000; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £  m illion 
			   Government g rant( 1,)( 2) 
			  Police authority  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06( 4)  2006-07  2007-08( 5)  2008-09( 5) 
			 Avon and Somerset 146.96 152.58 158.87 173.99 175.19 183.81 185.92 184.21 194.47 
			 Bedfordshire 54.24 59.89 61.51 66.83 69.22 73.11 74.15 76.21 79.48 
			 Cambridgeshire 66.89 71.27 76.80 77.96 79.66 85.26 82.33 85.58 87.90 
			 Cheshire 94.16 100.79 103.02 112.59 119.77 124.28 130.88 136.13 138.45 
			 Cleveland 76.30 80.96 84.06 90.97 94.79 99.54 101.32 105.29 107.46 
			 Cumbria 53.66 55.61 60.11 63.08 65.27 68.71 72.43 72.29 79.09 
			 Derbyshire 94.24 101.56 106.46 111.23 114.88 119.38 117.32 119.81 123.27 
			 Devon and Cornwall 152.88 163.44 167.49 174.26 180.29 189.16 190.95 199.38 203.75 
			 Dorset 58.82 62.45 65.46 71.17 75.46 73.19 81.17 82.66 83.29 
			 Durham 74.77 77.69 81.78 86.93 90.27 95.28 94.36 97.68 98.31 
			 Dyfed-Powys 26.77 28.00 28.17 30.12 32.23 33.61 32.69 34.17 35.64 
			 Essex 142.51 152.99 157.94 169.34 173.67 181.81 180.43 187.91 196.32 
			 Gloucestershire 52.88 55.55 58.78 61.48 63.66 68.00 67.93 71.35 71.90 
			 Greater Manchester 351.70 374.55 384.68 417.66 433.15 462.73 479.73 484.16 518.84 
			 Gwent 35.83 37.23 37.64 40.90 43.29 44.44 44.27 45.70 46.07 
			 Hampshire 169.64 178.39 185.16 197.87 208.08 239.16 222.35 221.75 227.05 
			 Hertfordshire 92.89 100.61 102.27 108.85 114.58 117.84 121.12 127.33 130.65 
			 Humberside 103.06 106.20 110.26 117.34 124.65 132.49 135.00 134.90 137.87 
			 Kent 162.74 178.10 179.96 188.38 198.30 203.93 193.45 219.23 224.19 
			 Lancashire 163.35 173.85 174.78 188.91 196.55 205.41 207.98 215.90 221.02 
			 Leicestershire 90.60 94.60 101.21 107.59 111.45 118.17 124.81 126.03 129.42 
			 Lincolnshire 56.43 60.34 60.97 64.98 68.22 71.17 66.54 72.47 71.10 
			 Merseyside 220.65 235.53 241.29 267.38 269.90 279.85 276.08 287.30 291.72 
			 Metropolitan(3) 1,601.10 1,731.70 1,838.70 1,923.90 1,983.50 1,928.50 2,019.00 2,115.40 2,162.26 
			 Norfolk 74.20 81.58 86.60 90.79 94.37 99.27 100.08 102.25 103.16 
			 North Wales 39.16 41.36 41.11 44.71 47.08 49.47 48.07 50.28 51.53 
			 North Yorkshire 66.55 72.69 71.68 78.89 80.61 83.73 86.24 79.39 84.45 
			 Northamptonshire 57.14 59.46 62.21 69.79 70.71 72.37 75.49 78.53 82.02 
			 Northumbria 197.06 209.79 211.02 226.21 233.28 250.55 249.17 260.01 267.01 
			 Nottinghamshire 113.91 123.97 129.84 136.54 142.04 148.94 143.48 145.55 149.74 
			 South Wales 84.27 88.02 89.25 93.45 103.17 107.45 91.93 94.82 97.25 
			 South Yorkshire 159.24 167.09 168.77 184.86 191.87 202.82 205.49 211.15 216.32 
			 Staffordshire 100.13 105.23 106.36 112.87 117.62 122.43 122.05 126.77 129.76 
			 Suffolk 59.09 62.24 62.02 69.57 71.81 74.76 73.73 75.57 77.24 
			 Surrey 83.09 83.35 87.48 93.59 96.78 100.80 104.76 110.12 113.62 
			 Sussex 142.03 149.10 153.68 168.05 180.99 180.95 156.10 189.14 193.09 
			 Thames Valley 193.02 210.13 219.41 233.34 237.32 249.35 260.52 261.98 267.92 
			 Warwickshire 44.98 46.90 48.67 51.91 53.90 56.16 54.57 56.91 59.77 
			 West Mercia 98.36 108.63 109.21 114.12 117.77 122.50 126.05 131.49 134.71 
			 West Midlands 357.58 379.35 388.14 415.20 433.31 466.12 471.41 487.88 509.25 
			 West Yorkshire 268.61 287.07 288.26 310.30 329.12 347.12 345.62 348.95 384.82 
			 Wiltshire 57.20 60.89 60.78 64.68 65.85 70.26 68.77 73.03 74.49 
			 England and Wales Total 4,737.60 5,038.79 5,173.15 5,548.65 5,770.08 6,075.37 6,066.75 6,271.23 6,493.41 
			 (1) Revenue funding includes all grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services), and includes formula grant and all specific grants. (2) Welsh Government Grant includes Home Office police grant floor funding and additional support provided to ensure Welsh police authorities receive at least a minimum increase in grant in line with English authorities. (3) The data for Metropolitan police authority from 2000-01 onwards is not available from DCLG as they are collected as consolidated data from GLA. Data used is compiled from Home Office data for allocated grants. (4) In 2005-06 figures were adjusted for comparison purposes following the transfer of pensions and security funding from general grant in 2006-07 so are not directly comparable. (5) 2007-08 and 2008-09 Government grant figures are budget figures.  Source: DCLG from English police authorities/WAG—from Welsh police authorities.

Police: Road Traffic Control

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent dedicated traffic police there were in each police authority area in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Data are available for officers whose primary function is listed as traffic. These are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police officers FTE( 1)  whose main function is 'Traffic '( 2) 
			   1996-97( 3)  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Avon and Somerset — 211 207 200 211 214 216 222 228 215 148 160 
			 Bedfordshire — 89 79 73 69 69 75 80 80 81 68 65 
			 Cambridgeshire — 91 96 93 86 78 85 99 101 99 96 90 
			 Cheshire — 204 205 196 187 194 194 200 194 85 91 94 
			 Cleveland — 82 67 68 63 67 64 73 2 61 72 104 
			 Cumbria — 117 117 119 111 108 107 110 108 111 114 99 
			 Derbyshire — 139 147 139 136 140 107 121 116 119 110 109 
			 Devon and Cornwall — 215 212 215 202 187 192 198 211 215 225 232 
			 Dorset — 93 77 83 86 81 91 86 82 81 80 78 
			 Durham — 115 117 116 113 113 111 119 108 105 100 107 
			 Dyfed-Powys — 89 97 93 83 75 136 105 141 143 136 126 
			 Essex — 268 259 245 249 254 241 242 243 243 231 219 
			 Gloucestershire — 83 82 68 69 64 62 66 67 73 67 67 
			 Greater Manchester — 429 434 433 423 421 406 392 359 342 352 338 
			 Gwent — 93 88 90 89 87 93 95 96 102 95 57 
			 Hampshire — 261 278 251 240 240 248 246 244 240 237 214 
			 Hertfordshire — 157 158 155 168 149 150 151 149 149 145 152 
			 Humberside — 165 149 155 145 136 123 119 225 181 100 104 
			 Kent — 149 119 103 104 104 104 — 122 116 109 122 
			 Lancashire — 422 225 220 217 220 198 187 190 197 184 180 
			 Leicestershire — 85 86 87 95 0 92 95 85 77 72 74 
			 Lincolnshire — 95 95 93 88 98 90 89 96 102 100 92 
			 City of London — 32 24 22 24 25 24 24 28 24 23 26 
			 Merseyside — 197 200 185 130 126 125 119 115 138 150 152 
			 Metropolitan Police — 823 782 824 686 0 583 592 1,029 603 611 612 
			 Norfolk — 111 107 109 113 114 120 121 107 112 110 118 
			 Northamptonshire — 97 87 52 52 61 70 71 65 63 63 60 
			 Northumbria — 164 162 158 158 178 245 253 165 167 172 165 
			 North Wales — 143 236 134 146 152 115 114 76 81 98 90 
			 North Yorkshire — 127 128 96 129 140 151 138 101 97 99 105 
			 Nottinghamshire — 177 182 167 175 111 26 121 133 134 139 144 
			 South Wales — 155 220 224 238 244 243 245 243 243 252 233 
			 South Yorkshire — 197 197 196 206 208 180 127 134 141 143 144 
			 Staffordshire — 204 208 188 35 34 50 49 58 28 35 34 
			 Suffolk — 68 74 70 63 68 68 72 76 80 77 81 
			 Surrey — 176 177 173 197 110 108 110 107 99 87 98 
			 Sussex — 206 197 191 190 174 164 163 163 160 169 160 
			 Thames Valley — 272 265 251 251 247 259 259 245 236 237 250 
			 Warwickshire — 102 106 102 96 95 103 103 93 97 93 93 
			 West Mercia — 239 238 278 322 325 292 115 117 116 129 128 
			 West Midlands — 412 405 394 380 385 384 405 393 401 383 352 
			 West Yorkshire — 307 331 323 326 336 320 314 317 343 324 283 
			 Wiltshire — 96 90 93 91 88 91 96 93 13 89 91 
			 Total 7,523 7,951 7,806 7,522 7,238 6,317 6,902 6,706 7,104 6,511 6,412 6,299 
			 (1) This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their 'primary' role or function. The traffic function includes staff who are predominantly employed on motorcycles or in patrol vehicles for the policing of traffic and motorway-related duties. This does not include officers employed in accident investigation or vehicle examination. (3) Data is unavailable for 1996-07 by police force area

Sexual Offences: Rural Areas

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many recorded rapes against women in rural areas there were in each of the last 10 years; and what the sanction detection rates were in each case;
	(2)  how many cases of rape against women were recorded by each police force in each of the last 10 years; and what the sanction detection rate was in each case.

Jacqui Smith: The available information is given in the following tables. Sanction detection rates are only available from 2002-03.
	
		
			  Table 1: Offences of rape of a female recorded by the police ,  1998-99 to 2001-02( 1) 
			  Police force  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			  'Rural' forces( 2) 
			 Cambridgeshire 79 97 102 144 
			 Cumbria 43 33 37 44 
			 Devon and Cornwall 163 150 168 165 
			 Durham 54 58 45 71 
			 Dyfed-Powys 37 49 46 46 
			 Gloucestershire 51 63 85 49 
			 Lincolnshire 59 51 63 103 
			 Norfolk 99 82 103 103 
			 North Wales 68 88 89 111 
			 North Yorkshire 42 39 46 65 
			 Suffolk 81 80 94 112 
			 West Mercia 96 86 105 169 
			 Wiltshire 84 78 72 85 
			  
			  'Non-rural' forces 
			 Avon and Somerset 160 166 188 302 
			 Bedfordshire 62 92 81 89 
			 British Transport Police — — n/a n/a 
			 Cheshire 105 62 80 69 
			 Cleveland 47 45 36 54 
			 Derbyshire 103 98 102 113 
			 Dorset 49 61 67 108 
			 Essex 174 184 153 190 
			 Greater Manchester 514 512 508 526 
			 Gwent 77 94 76 101 
			 Hampshire 171 228 257 279 
			 Hertfordshire 48 63 82 81 
			 Humberside 117 160 134 151 
			 Kent 154 131 169 171 
			 Lancashire 147 136 182 174 
			 Leicestershire 138 141 142 152 
			 London, City of 4 1 2 9 
			 Merseyside 167 219 214 256 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,900 2,142 2,044 2,336 
			 Northamptonshire 57 42 56 91 
			 Northumbria 258 227 208 259 
			 Nottinghamshire 153 210 211 227 
			 South Wales 147 115 115 112 
			 South Yorkshire 97 114 112 105 
			 Staffordshire 110 175 182 197 
			 Surrey 62 72 119 110 
			 Sussex 190 198 237 215 
			 Thames Valley 181 218 245 269 
			 Warwickshire 29 19 25 30 
			 West Midlands 355 481 499 553 
			 West Yorkshire 400 449 348 406 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. (2) The defining of rural police force areas within England and Wales has been taken in accordance with the ACORN ("A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods") guidance as published in the Statistical Bulletin 01/02 "Rural Crime England and Wales". The data covers 13 forces which ACORN defines as either 'Most Rural' (Dyfed-Powys, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and North Wales) or 'Less Rural' (Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Mercia and Wiltshire). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Offences of rape of a female recorded by the police ,  2002-03 to 2007-08( 1) 
			  Police force  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  'Rural' forces( 2)   
			 Cambridgeshire 177 216 219 193 193 198 
			 Cumbria 61 71 73 73 63 78 
			 Devon and Cornwall 255 303 348 361 355 360 
			 Durham 53 68 83 129 76 117 
			 Dyfed-Powys 44 99 94 79 92 66 
			 Gloucestershire 109 97 105 145 150 130 
			 Lincolnshire 128 156 164 169 147 154 
			 Norfolk 170 196 170 209 147 128 
			 North Wales 106 132 148 156 99 142 
			 North Yorkshire 126 115 132 134 128 121 
			 Suffolk 143 166 169 192 161 151 
			 West Mercia 205 210 199 212 208 229 
			 Wiltshire 147 131 97 138 141 128 
			
			  'Non-rural' forces   
			 Avon and Somerset 361 447 427 295 393 352 
			 Bedfordshire 116 139 149 188 141 106 
			 Cheshire 104 172 184 165 150 140 
			 Cleveland 96 139 135 158 125 130 
			 Derbyshire 185 221 257 253 253 217 
			 Dorset 128 137 149 166 115 192 
			 Essex 281 316 320 352 324 264 
			 Greater Manchester 667 790 812 769 767 712 
			 Gwent 137 77 103 112 132 164 
			 Hampshire 342 439 573 618 592 549 
			 Hertfordshire 160 149 179 197 179 163 
			 Humberside 239 330 286 323 264 237 
			 Kent 201 268 329 413 368 379 
			 Lancashire 225 241 249 299 257 232 
			 Leicestershire 237 238 291 287 275 315 
			 London, City of 3 3 7 5 8 3 
			 Merseyside 320 360 342 356 274 231 
			 Metropolitan Police 2,580 2,417 2,282 2,249 2,144 1,792 
			 Northamptonshire 158 144 116 152 147 138 
			 Northumbria 313 305 306 325 307 232 
			 Nottinghamshire 225 273 230 236 223 209 
			 South Wales 174 177 165 193 240 232 
			 South Yorkshire 181 170 261 294 241 219 
			 Staffordshire 236 226 275 267 265 224 
			 Surrey 127 138 120 135 134 144 
			 Sussex 327 276 414 399 413 293 
			 Thames Valley 335 409 377 425 411 356 
			 Warwickshire 59 73 83 75 93 96 
			 West Midlands 679 747 882 856 834 748 
			 West Yorkshire 514 572 526 558 579 563 
			 (1) The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. (2 )The defining of rural police force areas within England and Wales has been taken in accordance with the ACORN ("A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods") guidance as published in the Statistical Bulletin 01/02 "Rural Crime England and Wales". The data cover 13 forces which ACORN defines as either 'Most Rural' (Dyfed-Powys, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and North Wales) or 'Less Rural' (Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Mercia and Wiltshire). 
		
	
	—continued
	
		
			  Table 3: Sanction detection rates for offences of rape of a female ,  2002-03 to 2007-08 
			  Percentage 
			  Police force  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  'Rural' forces( 1)   
			 Cambridgeshire 19 11 21 21 15 17 
			 Cumbria 54 28 29 37 43 24 
			 Devon and Cornwall 26 17 22 14 19 17 
			 Durham n/a n/a 51 22 45 44 
			 Dyfed-Powys 43 25 30 15 28 21 
			 Gloucestershire 29 27 26 19 19 31 
			 Lincolnshire 32 21 24 20 22 18 
			 Norfolk 18 19 17 21 22 21 
			 North Wales 20 23 24 20 14 15 
			 North Yorkshire 36 37 32 25 38 24 
			 Suffolk 29 27 17 23 18 17 
			 West Mercia 30 33 27 26 17 22 
			 Wiltshire 23 24 25 31 18 21 
			
			  'Non-rural' forces   
			 Avon and Somerset 22 21 17 22 20 24 
			 Bedfordshire 30 20 23 21 15 18 
			 British Transport Police 55 48 18 35 31 21 
			 Cheshire 31 26 26 25 27 28 
			 Cleveland 41 29 20 37 33 26 
			 Derbyshire 33 31 26 29 19 29 
			 Dorset 21 17 15 16 29 17 
			 Essex 21 24 21 23 22 19 
			 Greater Manchester 32 27 28 28 31 36 
			 Gwent 62 57 35 37 31 18 
			 Hampshire 35 28 23 19 19 18 
			 Hertfordshire 31 39 28 34 26 20 
			 Humberside 19 19 20 22 25 22 
			 Kent 37 28 20 19 23 25 
			 Lancashire 50 32 35 35 34 28 
			 Leicestershire 22 26 22 16 20 12 
			 London, City of 67 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 37 26 22 18 22 18 
			 Metropolitan Police 26 26 25 31 33 33 
			 Northamptonshire 39 27 28 26 23 20 
			 Northumbria 31 27 24 26 29 29 
			 Nottinghamshire 33 25 32 25 30 23 
			 South Wales 61 51 57 30 29 40 
			 South Yorkshire 38 36 29 22 27 30 
			 Staffordshire 30 28 27 22 23 23 
			 Surrey 24 33 21 30 27 24 
			 Sussex 22 21 14 18 13 19 
			 Thames Valley 25 17 22 21 19 18 
			 Warwickshire 24 15 24 19 16 19 
			 West Midlands 42 31 25 30 24 24 
			 West Yorkshire 30 28 24 21 17 24 
			 n/a = not available (1) The defining of rural police force areas within England and Wales has been taken in accordance with the ACORN ("A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods") guidance as published in the Statistical Bulletin 01/02 "Rural Crime England and Wales". The data cover 13 forces which ACORN defines as either 'Most Rural' (Dyfed-Powys, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and North Wales) or 'Less Rural' (Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Mercia and Wiltshire).

Unemployment New Skills

Liz Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department is taking to provide assistance for retraining to individuals who lose their jobs.

John Denham: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to the right hon. Member for Stockton, South (Ms Taylor).

Adult Learning

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans he has to increase opportunities for adult learning during the recession.

John Denham: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to the right hon. Member for Stockton, South (Ms Taylor)

Longbridge College

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the contribution the proposed new college at Longbridge will make to skills, training and further education in the South Birmingham area.

Si�n Simon: The impact that skills can have on local economic regeneration is significant. The work undertaken between the Learning and Skills Council Jobcentre Plus, Regional Development Agency, local businesses and other partners in the Longbridge and South Birmingham area is a clear example of the difference that skills can make in response to economic challenges.
	We recognise that college capital projects such as the proposed development of the Longbridge site as part of Bournville college's capital plans can also have a significant impact on local economic regeneration. Bournville college's capital proposals which include the development of a new college at the Longbridge site has been given approval in principal and as part of the approval process, the Learning and Skills Council will have assessed, among other things, the educational case of the scheme, including its skills contribution to the local area.
	The Learning and Skills Council has now completed its assessment of colleges seeking approval in principle and in detail which has confirmed there are many more schemes currently in preparation than can be funded in this spending round.
	The LSC will therefore consult with the Association of Colleges and other FE sector representatives to advise me on ways of prioritising schemes in the future. As a result, the Longbridge scheme will be subject to the outcome of this consultation.

Further Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills with reference to the written ministerial statement of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, column 55WS, on capital spending programmes in further education colleges, which colleges have been given the first stage of approval in principle by the Learning and Skills Council; and which colleges have submitted bids to the Learning and Skills Council for approval in principle.

Si�n Simon: Capital funding for further education colleges is administered by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). As the information requested pertains to decisions and records held by the Council, I have asked Mark Haysom, the LSC Chief Executive, to write to my hon. Friend with the further information requested. A copy of his letter will be placed in the House Libraries.

Redundancy: Vocational Training

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department is taking to provide retraining for highly skilled workers who have been made redundant.

Si�n Simon: It is essential for the UK economy and for the individual themselves, that highly skilled workers have the opportunities and support to retrain for the jobs of the future. The 50 million Economic Challenge Investment Fund announced earlier this year will support them in a range of professional development courses, and access to specialist advice and guidance, as will the tripling of the number of professional and career development loans also recently announced. I'm also aware that a number of universities are using savings from the reduction in VAT, announced last year by the Chancellor, to support those who have been made redundant or are at risk of being so.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bristol West of 9 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1266W, on higher education: EU nationals, how many times the Student Loans Company has successfully enforced repayment of loans from students domiciled in the EU but not in the UK using  (a) external trace agents,  (b) international debt collection companies and (c) EC regulation 44/2001;
	(2)  how many times the Student Loans Company has attempted to enforce repayment of student loans from students domiciled in the EU but not in the UK using  (a) external trace agents,  (b) international debt collection companies and  (c) EC regulation 44/2001.

David Lammy: EU students became eligible for tuition fee loans when they were introduced in 2006/07. The first full cohort of EU borrowers will graduate this summer, and will become due to start repaying their loans from April 2010. However, a small number have left their courses early, and became due to repay in either April 2007 or April 2008.
	Effective collection of student loans across the EU is underpinned by EC regulation 44/2001, which allows the Student Loans Company (SLC) to obtain judgments in UK courts which can be enforced by courts in other EU countries.
	Up to 3 March 2009, the SLC had contacted 54 EU borrowers in order to start this legal process. They were students who had studied in England; are now resident overseas; but have not complied with the overseas repayment rules. Since attempting to enforce payment in this way, the SLC has had correspondence from 45 of the 54. SLC continues to pursue the remaining nine to enforce repayment.
	The SLC has not yet used external trace agents nor international debt collection companies but plans to do so later this year.

Training: Learning Disability

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that courses for people with learning disabilities are tailored to their needs.

David Lammy: Higher education institutions and further education colleges have a duty under Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) legislation to ensure that 'reasonable adjustments' are put in place for disabled people and through the disability equality duty to proactively promote disability equality on the public sector. Although course provision and delivery is a matter for the education institutions themselves, Government expect institutions to take account of the needs of disabled learners as part of an inclusive approach on these matters. I am pleased to say that the National Student Forum has been active in this area, ensuring that the voices of disabled students are heard.

York University

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what discussions he has had with the University of York on the development of its Heslington East campus.

David Lammy: We have set out the wide range of benefits which new university campuses can bring to people and places in our New University Challenge policy document published last year. We are very pleased with the interest which that has generated. However, we have had no discussions with the University of York on the development of the Heslington campus and any decisions on the merits of this and other similar development proposals have to be taken by the relevant authorities.

Community Service Orders: Costs

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what costs his Department incurred in administering each type of community sentence in each of the last five years; and what the average administration costs per offender was.

Jack Straw: Probation Boards and Trusts meet the cost of delivering Community Sentences through their grant as they see fit to meet their statutory duties. The Criminal Justice Act 2003 established the new Community Order as a single community sentence with a number of elements in respect of offences committed after 4 April 2005. This replaced the separate community sentences which existed previously. From 2005 to present, cost exercises have been carried out by .Probation Boards/Trusts annually and have produced the planned cost of a range of activities. Probation Boards and Trusts spent 614 million in 2007-08 supervising around 244,000 offenders. It is not currently possible to separate the cost of supervising offenders on community sentence as probation caseloads also include significant numbers of offenders who have been released from a custodial sentence or released temporarily into the community. Work is in hand in the National Offender Management Service to ensure that all offender services delivered in custody and in the community are properly specified and costed so that commissioners can ensure that resources are targeted effectively to protect the public and reduce re-offending.

Electoral Register: Northern Ireland

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1900W, on electoral register, what assessment he has made of the reasons for 13 of the 20 councils with the lowest electoral registration rates being in Northern Ireland.

Michael Wills: The Government have not made any such assessment as the National Statistician notes in the answer given on 6 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1900W. Care should be taken when interpreting the figures provided in that answer, and the answer goes on to list some of the reasons for that.
	However, recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics reveal that as of 1 December 2008, the number of local government electors in Northern Ireland had increased by 16,578 (1.5 per cent.) to 1,142,513. This rise was greater than those recorded for the same period in England (0.3 per cent.), Scotland (0.1 per cent.) and Wales (0.5 per cent.).
	The Government have recently announced plans to put in place a statutory timetable for the introduction of individual registration in Great Britain; begin the rollout of measures to prepare both the public and the electoral system for that change; and put in place a series of tests, that will be independently assessed by the Electoral Commission, to ensure that the shift is only made once the system is ready for it. Northern Ireland already has a system of individual registration in place and we will want to learn from their experiences to ensure that registration rates are maximised. It is essential that the electoral register is both comprehensive and accurate.
	In addition, we have tabled amendments to the Political Parties and Elections Bill that will allow the Secretary of State to pilot data matching schemes under which public authorities will provide registration officers with information to assist them in maintaining an accurate and comprehensive register. We also plan to introduce secondary legislation to enable EROs in areas where there are two tiers of local government to be able to access data held by the higher tier to help them identify individuals who are not registered to vote. This will mirror arrangements in place for EROs in single tier areas.

Land Registry

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much the Land Registry has budgeted to spend on the Business Gateway service in the next five year period from 1 March 2009;
	(2)  how much the Land Registry spent on the Business Gateway service up to 1 March 2009.

Michael Wills: Land Registry has only budgeted for the development of the Business Gateway for 12 months from 1 April 2009. This budget includes 266,290 for internal staff and other support costs. In addition there is a sum to cover an external contract but Land Registry believes that providing the budgeted spend for this would prejudice its commercial interests.
	Land Registry spent 532,130 on the Business Gateway up to 11 March 2009. There are additional costs that have been incurred for work carried out but not yet invoiced by the contractor under commercial arrangements.

Legal Advice and Assistance: Travelling People

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 917W, on legal advice and assistance: Travelling people, in which planning inquiries the Legal Services Commission funded representation for Travellers through its exceptional funding scheme in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09; and what the case reference number was for each such inquiry.

Shahid Malik: The MoJ has authorised the LSC to grant funding, through the exceptional funding scheme, for Gypsies and Travellers to be represented at a planning inquiry involving each of the following authorities:
	 In the financial year 2007-08:
	Tunbridge Wells County Council
	Basildon District Council
	North Somerset Council (two cases)
	Tandridge District Council
	Dartford Borough Council
	South Staffordshire District Council
	Surrey Heath Borough Council
	London Borough of Bromley
	Bath and North East Somerset Council
	Wyre Forest District Council
	Lewes District Council
	South Somerset District Council
	(Authorities for three cases cannot be confirmed)
	 In the financial year 2008-09 (to date):
	Mid Devon District Council
	Rother District Council
	Chichester District Council
	Canterbury City Council
	Kent County Council
	Bedford Borough Council
	Lewes District Council
	Ashford Borough Council
	The case reference numbers for planning inquiries are not held centrally by the LSC or the MoJ.

Agriculture: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many organic farmers are registered in  (a) Hertfordshire and  (b) Dacorum.

Jane Kennedy: The number of organic producers registered with the Organic Certification bodies in the county of Hertfordshire, based on data collected at January 2008, is 11. In accordance with National Statistics confidentiality rules, data for Dacorum is not available due to the small number of growers in this area.
	Validated information for 2009 is not yet available.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1049W, on domestic waste: waste disposal, what the terms of reference are of the research on waste prevention scheduled to report in spring 2009; and which external organisation is conducting the research.

Jane Kennedy: The review study referred to in the reply to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1049W, on domestic waste: waste disposal, (WR1204) Household Waste Prevention: A Synthesis Review aims to extract key information from published research into techniques for preventing waste in the home.
	The project is being conducted by Brook Lyndhurst in association with the Social Marketing Practice and the Resource Recovery Forum.

Horses

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1082W, on horses, what estimate he has made of the number of horses which have entered the human food chain in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: The Meat Hygiene Services have only been recording figures on those horses bound for the food chain since 2005.
	The numbers of horses that have entered the food chain are as follows:
	2005-06: 3,782
	2006-07: 4,939
	2007-08: 3,664
	2008-09 (to date): 3,398.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 18 November 2008, regarding figures on carbon dioxide emissions in South Gloucestershire.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	I replied to the hon. Member on 11 March.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the oral evidence taken by the Communities and Local Government Committee on 17 December 2007, HC (2007-08) 195, Q24, which local authorities had expressed an interest in participating in the pilot financial incentive schemes.

Jane Kennedy: We have committed to release the names of any local authorities which come forward with formal expressions of interest in piloting a waste reduction scheme; none have yet done so. The hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford referred in the oral evidence session of 17 December 2007 to authorities which had made initial inquiries only.

Waste Management: Conferences

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the presentation and handouts produced by his Department's Head of Waste Programme on the Implementation of Waste Strategy for England for the Waste Management Finance Forum on 22 January 2009.

Jane Kennedy: A copy of the presentation by the Head of Waste Programme given at the Waste Management Finance Forum in January 2009 will be placed in the Library of the House.

Employment And Support Allowance

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what costs relating to the introduction of the employment and support allowance were incurred by the Ministry of Justice with reference to the budget transfer of 1.45 million from the Department for Work and Pensions as announced in the written ministerial statement of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 116-9WS, on department expenditure limits.

Tony McNulty: The Department of Work and Pensions is not able to provide information on costs incurred by the Ministry of Justice.
	The Department of Work and Pensions transferred 1,455,000 to the Ministry of Justice as part of the Spring Supplementary Estimate 2008-09 (HC221). The funding was provided to support operating costs incurred by the Ministry of Justice resulting from the introduction of Employment Support Allowance (ESA).

National Insurance Fund

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the contribution of the Minister of State of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1567, when he plans to write to the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire on the National Insurance Fund; and if he will place a copy of the letter in the Library.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 27 February 2009
	The letter was sent to the hon. Member, and arrangements made to place a copy in the Library, on 9 March 2009.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer Question 249132, on answers to parliamentary Questions, tabled on 14 January 2009.

Jonathan R Shaw: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 4 March 2009.  Official Report, column 1613W.

Departmental Recruitment

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1578W, on departmental recruitment, how many of the general faststreamers recruited in each year since 2003 were undertaking first degree courses at university when they successfully applied to his Department.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) recruited 32 general faststreamers between 2003 and 2008. One of them, recruited in 2004, was undertaking a first degree course at university when they successfully applied to the Department. This total excludes faststreamers recruited through the in-service scheme and those recruited from other Government Departments. None of whom were at university when they joined the Department.

Departmental Surveys

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1743W, on departmental surveys, if he will place in the Library a copy of the raw data and reports relating to the results of each of the three staff surveys carried out between January 2007 and March 2009.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development's (DFID) 2007 Management Survey and 2008 Better Balance Audit results will be placed in the Library.
	The 2009 Pulse Survey results were received at the end of February and are currently being communicated internally through the line management chain. The report will be published on DFID's intranet by 31 March 2009 and placed in the Library at this time.
	To preserve anonymity of survey responses, we will not be making the raw data publicly available.

Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 737W, on Sri Lanka: internally displaced persons, when he expects the findings of the report of the humanitarian assessment mission to Sri Lanka to be placed in the Library.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID) humanitarian assessment mission in Sri Lanka is on-going due to the prolonged nature of the conflict and continued displacement of civilians in the North. One DFID humanitarian specialist will stay, based in Colombo, for another month at least.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions there have been for alcohol-related fall injuries for  (a) males and  (b) females aged (i) under 10, (ii) 10 to 13, (iii) 14 to 17 and (iv) 18 years and over in (A) each region and (B) each constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Tables which have been placed in the Library, give figures for the number of alcohol-related finished admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of fall injuries, by region of residence and primary care trust (PCT) of residence, for the years 2003-04 to 2007-08. 2007-08 is the latest year for which information is available. Information is not available by constituency and so figures for PCTs have been provided instead.
	The under-18 age bands in the PCT table have been combined to avoid having to suppress large number of figures to protect patient confidentiality. Some PCTs were reconfigured between 2005-06 and 2006-07. Where this was the case, the figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are not comparable with figures for earlier years.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions there have been for alcohol-related road traffic accidents for  (a) males and  (b) females aged (i) under 10, (ii) 10 to 13, (iii) 14 to 17 and (iv) 18 years and over in (A) each region and (B) each constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Tables which have been placed in the Library, give figures for the number of alcohol-related finished admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of road traffic accidents, by region of residence and primary care trust (PCT) of residence, for the years 2003-04 to 2007-08. 2007-08 is the latest year for which information is available. Information is not available by constituency and so figures for PCTs have been provided instead.
	The under-18 age bands in the PCT table have been combined to avoid having to suppress large number of figures to protect patient confidentiality. Some PCTs were reconfigured between 2005-06 and 2006-07. Where this was the case, the figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are not comparable with figures for earlier years.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions there have been for ethanol poisoning for  (a) males and  (b) females aged (i) under 10, (ii) 10 to 13, (iii) 14 to 17 and (iv) 18 years and over in each (A) region and (B) constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Tables which have been placed in the Library, give figures for the number of finished admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of ethanol poisoning, by region of residence and primary care trust (PCT) of residence, for the years 2003-04 to 2007-08. 2007-08 is the latest year for which information is available. Information is not available by constituency and so figures for PCTs have been provided instead.
	The under-18 age bands in the PCT table have been combined to avoid having to suppress large number of figures to protect patient confidentiality. Some PCTs were reconfigured between 2005-06 and 2006-07. Where this was the case, the figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are not comparable with figures for earlier years.

Injuries: Children

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 404W, on injuries: children, when the equivalent figures for the year 2007-08 will be available.

Ann Keen: The information requested was published in the Hospital Episode Statistics in-patient publication on 25 February 2009. The data for finished admission episodes for deliberate and unintended injuries (age 0-15 inclusive) for 2007-08 are in the following table:
	
		
			  2007-08 
			   Number 
			 Unintended 121,713 
			 Deliberate (intentional self-harm) 7,802 
			 Deliberate (assault) 2,977 
			 Other 572

NHS: Negligence

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 938W, on NHS negligence, how much of the 713.4 million to be collected in 2009-10 will be collected by each NHS trust; and how much relates to each type of claim.

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 661W.

Nutrition

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1034W, on nutrition, what data on malnutrition is routinely reported to  (a) Ministers and  (b) senior officials in his Department; if he will implement an annual audit of the quality of nutritional care; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on malnutrition is not routinely reported to Ministers or senior officials but is published annually. This information can be found on the Hospital Episodes Statistics website at:
	http://www.hesonline.nhs.uk/Ease/servlet/Content Server?siteID=1937categoryID=970
	which provides recently published 2007-08 data on malnutrition, and will be updated further in December with 2008-09 data.
	The website includes malnutrition codes and an information paper on malnutrition and how it is collected.
	There are no plans to undertake an audit of data collected in relation to malnutrition. Data on malnutrition collected through Hospital Episodes Statistics goes through a rigorous and comprehensive validation.

Nutrition: Screening

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2009,  Official Report, column 878W, on nutrition: screening, if he will discuss with health care professionals the inclusion of nutritional screening as a directed enhanced service in the community pharmacy contract.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has no intention of undertaking such discussions. Nutritional screening is not a directed enhanced service in the community pharmacy contract.
	The provision of healthy lifestyle advice, including advice on diet and nutrition is already an essential service to be provided by all community pharmacies. Nutritional screening was not a service identified in the pharmacy White Paper as a potential directed enhanced service. It is for primary care trusts to commission services according to local needs. The Department will keep the community pharmacy contractual framework under review.

Steroid Drugs

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 888-90W, on steroid drugs, what the figures for  (a) glucocorticoids and synthetic analogues,  (b) other estrogens and progestogens,  (c) androgens and anabolic congeners and  (d) mineralcorticoids and their antagonists are.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Transplant Surgery: Foreigners

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 254-60W, from which countries each of the people came for whom no follow-up information is available.

Ann Keen: The following table shows organ and ocular tissue transplants carried out in the United Kingdom, where the recipient is recorded as being resident outside the UK (excluding the Republic of Ireland), by country of recipient residence, where no three-month follow-up information is available, April 1998 - March 2008. All figures refer to organs and tissue from deceased donors except where otherwise stated.
	
		
			  Country of residence  Kidney  Liver  Cornea  Sclera  Total 
			 Netherlands   1  1 
			 France   2  2 
			 Sweden   1  1 
			 Malta  2 4  6 
			 Portugal   2  2 
			 Spain   1  1 
			 Greece (1)l 1 10 1 13 
			 Turkey   1  1 
			 Switzerland   1  1 
			 Italy  3 3 3 9 
			 Bulgaria (1)11 
			 Cyprus  4 2  6 
			 Gibraltar   2  2 
			 Croatia  4   4 
			 Bosnia-Herzegovina (1)11 
			 St Helena   1  1 
			 Bermuda (1)11 
			 St Vincent and the Grenadines (1)11 
			 Bahrain (1)1  1  2 
			 Saudi Arabia  3  2 5 
			 United Arab Emirates  7 2 2 11 
			 Kuwait (1)1 (2)5 3  9 
			 Oman (1)11 
			 Qatar (1)1   1 2 
			 Egypt  33 2  35 
			 Libya (1)1  1  2 
			 Sudan   1  1 
			 Nigeria (1)1  2  3 
			 Uganda   1  1 
			 Cameroon   1  1 
			 Ghana (1)11 
			 Kenya (1)1  2  3 
			 Zambia  1   1 
			 Zimbabwe   2  2 
			 South Africa  4   4 
			 Mauritius   1  1 
			 Iran (1)11 
			 Pakistan (1)1 1 1  3 
			 India (1)1 3 1  5 
			 Bangladesh   1  1 
			 Brazil  2   2 
			 Unspecified non-EU  1   1 
			 Total 16 74 53 9 152 
			 (1) From living donors (2) One from a living donor

Legislation

John Baron: To ask the Leader of the House with reference to the answer of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 731W, on legislation, how many pages of  (a) primary and  (b) delegated legislation were passed by the House in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Chris Bryant: The number of printed A4 pages for all Public Acts, taken from the PDF versions on the OPSI website, were as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2007 3,022 
			 2008 3,190 
		
	
	Figures for earlier years given in my previous answer were based on the bound volumes of legislation published by The Stationery Office. These volumes have not yet been published for the years in question and there may be a difference between the figures given and the bound volume figures.
	Because of the volume of delegated legislation and because the bound volumes have not yet been published by TSO, page numbers could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Children: Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1116W, on children: protection, which staff of his Department are permitted to read anonymised full serious case reviews.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 5 March 2009
	Copies of serious case reviews are seen by relevant members of the Department's Safeguarding Group when sent by Local Safeguarding Children Boards for the purpose of informing the biennial overview reports which analyse the key findings from SCRs as a whole and identify the implications for policy and practice. Members of the Government offices may also see relevant individual anonymised SCRs to inform their support and challenge role in relation to LSCBs and local authorities.

Departmental Public Consultation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what payments for  (a) polling and  (b) other services his Department has made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I can confirm that the Department for Children, Schools and Families have no record of any payments made to Deborah Mattinson or Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007.

Departmental Consultants

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 332W, on departmental consultants, which appointed expert advisers, other than special advisers and civil servants, provide advice to Ministers in his Department.

Ian Pearson: The work of all Treasury's expert advisers, with the exception of that relating to the specific responsibilities of the accounting officer, contributes directly or indirectly either to advice given to Ministers or its implementation.

Fred Goodwin

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on which date he was first informed of the pension arrangements put in place by Royal Bank of Scotland in respect of its former chief executive, Sir Fred Goodwin;
	(2)  on which date he first discussed with representatives of Royal Bank of Scotland the pension arrangements that had been put in place in respect of Sir Fred Goodwin.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 9 March 2009
	 The Government were not involved in negotiating and did not give approval to or sign-off Sir Fred Goodwin's pension or the basis of his departure from the company. These matters were determined by members of the board of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer the Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners) gave Lord Taylor of Warwick on 5 March 2009,  Official Report, columns WA172-73.

Members: Correspondence

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for the Forest of Dean of 30 January 2009 on Northern Rock mortgages, reference FD8395.

Ian Pearson: Due to the large volume of correspondence received on these issues there has been a delay in sending some responses. The Financial Services Secretary hopes to be in a position to reply to the hon. Member shortly.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare of 27 November 2008 and 5 January 2009 sent on behalf of his constituent Mr. Paul Ritchie.

Ian Pearson: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letter dated 12 January 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. V. Grundry, transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Stephen Timms: I have replied to the right hon. Member.

Valuation Office: Rent Service

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 684-85W, on the Valuation Office: Rent Service, and with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 20 November 2008,  Official Report, column 776W, on the Valuation Office: reorganisation, what property attributes and information the Rent Service held prior to its transfer to the Valuation Office Agency.

Stephen Timms: The property attributes and information held by the Rent Service required for the majority of the cases that are subject to a rent officer function includes:
	the type of residential property;
	the number of living rooms;
	the number of bedrooms;
	information on kitchen facilities
	information on bathroom and toilet facilities;
	information on any outbuildings and their use;
	information on the accessibility of statutory services;
	details of the tenancy including:
	the term
	the commencement date
	the rent
	the provision of any services
	the provision of any furniture
	as appropriate, any special terms
	Additionally, the property attributes and information held by the Rent Service required for a minority of the cases that are subject to a rent officer function, in addition to the above, includes:
	the age of the property;
	the size of the accommodation;
	the method of heating;
	the state of repair;
	details of any disrepair attributable to the tenant;
	details of any improvements carried out by the tenant;
	further details of the tenancy:
	a copy of any:
	lease
	agreement
	inventory
	schedule of services
	repairing liabilities
	terms for the treatment of any service charges
	details of any gardens/grounds and their use.

Valuation Office: Rent Service

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 684-85W, on the Valuation Office: Rent Service, and with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 20 November 2008,  Official Report, column 776W, on the Valuation Office: reorganisation, whether property attribute information held by the Rent Service will be utilised by the Valuation Office Agency for council tax valuation purposes.

Stephen Timms: With effect from 1 April 2009, all property attribute information formerly held by the Rent Service will be transferred to the Valuation Office Agency.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Paul Holmes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer question 248252, on loss of departmental property, tabled on 12 January 2009.

Angela Eagle: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Written Questions: Government Responses

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to answer question 247992 tabled on 12 January 2009, on small businesses; what the reason is for the time taken to reply; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Question 247992 was transferred to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. The hon. Gentleman was notified of the transfer in the usual way.

Community Development

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 14 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 768-9W, on community development, for what reasons her Department decided not to proceed with plans for the establishment of neighbourhood improvement districts.

John Healey: The Government decided not to proceed with neighbourhood improvement districts (NIDs) because there was no hard evidence of demand for them, but clear public concern about council tax levels, and NIDs would have increased burdens on council tax payers. In addition, local authorities, including parish councils, already have powers to provide many of the services that a NID could provide, such as local wardens or neighbourhood managers. The Government have simplified the process for setting up parishes, and have also passed legislation enabling parish councils to be set up in areas that previously could not have them (e.g. London).

Councillors: Arun

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1072W, on councillors: Arun, for what reasons Arun was chosen by the Audit Commission to ask councillors for their bank account details.

John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 12 March 2009:I
	Your Parliamentary Question on what reasons Arun was chosen by the Audit Commission to ask councillors for their bank account details has been passed to me for reply.
	The Audit Commission confirms that there was no particular or additional request for data relating to Arun Council or its councillors in relation to the National Fraud Initiative and that they have been treated in exactly the same way as all other participants in the National Fraud Initiative.
	One of the key sets of data matched under the National Fraud Initiative is payroll data. For example, by matching payroll data to Housing Benefit claimants' data we can identify potential fraudulent claims or overpayments. All mandatory participants in the National Fraud Initiative (for example, local councils, police authorities, probation boards, fire and rescue authorities, NHS bodies, etc) are required to provide bank account and sort codes in the payroll file submitted to the Audit Commission. The specific (and relatively limited) fields required for the National Fraud Initiative are set out in the published 'data specification'. This requires the payroll data submitted to include all individuals being paid a salary, wage, members' allowance or other remuneration at a particular point in time. It therefore covers all employees, board members and councillors.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

Eco-Towns

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 769W, on eco-towns, in which publications the Central Office of Information advertorials were placed.

Iain Wright: The advertorials commissioned through the Central Office of Information in respect of the first stage consultation were placed in the following publications:
	Bedford Times  Citizen
	Bicester Advertiser
	Cambridge Evening News
	Cornish Guardian
	Doncaster Free Press
	Eastern Daily Press
	Farnham Herald Series
	Herts  Essex Observer
	Leicester Mercury
	Lichfield Mercury Series
	Louth Leader
	Nottingham Evening Post
	Oxford Mail
	Skegness Standard
	Stratford Upon Avon Herald
	Worthing Herald Group
	Yorkshire Evening Post

Housing: Construction

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 107W, on Design for Manufacture Programme, if she will place in the Library a copy of the report commissioned by the Homes and Communities Agency analysing the cost data from the various developers.

Margaret Beckett: The first stage assessment work produced at the beginning of the competition process has been placed in the House Library'Designed for ManufactureLessons learnt'. Research analysing the cost data is ongoing, and is due to be completed during the next financial year. A copy will be placed in the Library upon publication. It will also be made available on the Homes and Communities Agency website.

LLM Communications

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2064W, on departmental procurement, what type of work was undertaken by LLM Communications to support regional housing debates; which such debates they were engaged to support; and how much was paid to the company for this work.

Iain Wright: LLM Communications were paid 38,200 between 2006 and 2007 to support the delivery of regional housing debates to help raise public awareness of the need for, and benefits of, housing growth; and stimulate debates on the future of house building. The debates involved members of the public, MPs, environmentalists, housing and homelessness experts.

London Thames Gateway Development Corporation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 19 March 2008,  Official Report, column 1215W, on Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee: business interests, on what date consent was given by the Secretary of State for the appointment of Mr. Alan Clark to the planning committee.

Margaret Beckett: My right hon. Friend the Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) approved the appointment of Mr. Alan Clark to the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee on 30 July 2007.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 12 February 2009, Official Report, columns 73-6WS, on departmental expenditure limits, what future liabilities under the Homeowner Mortgage Support scheme she expects the non-cash provision to cover.

Margaret Beckett: The non-cash provision for the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme is in respect of any guarantees issued under the scheme in 2008-09. We are currently working with lenders to agree the Master Guarantee for the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme. We expect to be open for business with the first lenders in April, in which case no liabilities will have been entered into in 2008-09 and the non-cash provision will not have been needed. We will publish a full impact assessment when the Master Guarantee Deed has been finalised.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1277W, on non-domestic rates: business, whether the 2010 rates revaluation will be revenue-neutral  (a) in the first year and  (b) over the five year cycle.

John Healey: At the 2010 revaluation the small business multiplier will be reset to ensure the gross rates yield expected for 1 April 2010 (the first day of the 2010 rating list) will be the same, in real terms, as the gross rates yield expected for 31 March 2010 (the last day of the 2005 rating list). Therefore, the process of introducing new rateable values on 1 April 2010 will be revenue neutral in real terms. Thereafter, the rates yield may vary in the normal way with, for instance, ongoing changes to the rating list.

Regeneration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Answer of 15 July 2002,  Official Report, column 63W, on Treasury, how much has been allocated to revive  (a) coalfield communities,  (b) steel communities,  (c) rural communities,  (d) inner-city communities and  (e) seaside towns for the latest period for which figures are available.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 340W.

Regional Ministers: Official Engagements

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the official engagements of  (a) the Minister for London,  (b) the Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber,  (c) the Minister for the South East,  (d) the Minister for the North West,  (e) the Minister for the East of England,  (f) the Minister for the East Midlands,  (g) the Minister for the South West,  (h) the Minister for the North East and  (i) the Minister for the West Midlands in their roles as Regional Ministers were between 1 February 2009 and 28 February 2009; and how long each spent on each engagement.

Sadiq Khan: I am depositing a table of this information in the Library. Accurate information on the length of time spent on each engagement can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Regional Planning and Development: South East

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 28 January 2009,  Official Report, column 643W, on regional planning and development: South East, if she will place in the Library a copy of the submissions from  (a) the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) of 22 October 2008,  (b) Eastleigh borough council of 23 October 2008 and  (c) Eastleigh borough council of June 2006.

Sadiq Khan: The documents requested have now been placed in the Library.